EXiP'£;femENT STATIOJ^ BlOluLETINS. 



215~< 



■on either m\^e by lead-color, whiek' exl^wds to tlia eje\. ^ conspicuous 

 reddish brown stripe <e^tends backward trom the e>ye separating the gray 

 of the top of the lw?ad from that of tSie cheek. This broadens as it runs 

 back, so that at th-e laase of the neck it forms a dorsal band which extends 

 well down toward the black of the Uliroat, between it and which the gray 

 color is vtM-y light — nearly white. In some fases this reddish brown doeS' 

 not meet above at the base of the neck. 



The ^coloration of the female is less definite. Tlie head' is brownish - 

 gray, Ibecoming lighter on the tihroat. The back is marked mucli as in the 

 male, with the chestnut varying to a yellowish brown. The breast varies 

 frooaa an ashy to a yellowish or dirty white. The young male is like the 

 lemale. TIk' length of both sexes— from the tip of the bill to the tip of 

 the tail — varies from six to :s«ven inches. 



HEAP <OF ENGLISH SPARROW — MALE. 



The bill is always robust (see fig. 1) and 

 black. The crown — very top of the head — 

 is ash colored. The throat is black borderd 

 on either side by ashy white,^ the cheeks also 

 are ashy white. The region between the 

 ^eyes and bill is black; a white line separates 

 ^"' the black in front of the eyes from the ashy 

 gray of the crown; above, and extending 

 back of the eye, is a reddish brown strip^ 

 which reaches nearly to the shoulder.. 



■■■^■viii^sdte..^;^w^^<':''■■ 



Via. l.~Head of Male. 



In the female (see fig. 2) the bill is 

 slightly more slender, the color yellowish 

 gray; the crown of the head always solid 

 ferownish gray, one cx>LOR only, which point 

 .distinguishes it from the native sparrows of 

 Michigan. The throat varies but is usually 

 ashy, or grayish white. 



NATIVE BIRDS LIABLE TO BE MISTAKEN FOR 

 THE ENGLISH SPARROW, 



Purple Finch {Corpodacus purpureus). 

 The bill is about the size of that of the f^g- '^--sead of Female. 



English sparrow; the head of the male can always be told by the crimson 

 crown; the rest of the head and body is rose red. The head of the female 

 is mottled with brownish gray and darker spots, as is the entire back, and 

 not uniform in color as in the female English sparrow. 



Red Polled Linnet {^giothus linaria). Both male and female of this 

 species may be known by the crimson crown and a small sooty black 

 patch on the throat. Their length is about five and one half inches. 

 Many of this species have been received by town clerks for sparrows. 

 There is no hrigM red or crimson on the top of the head of any English 

 sparroiu. 



Yellow bird (Astrogalinus tristis). The male of this species can be 

 told in summer by his rich yellow color, but the head of the female — and 

 male in its winter plumage — can be told by a brown crown, a yellow throat, 

 and by the small size of its head and bill. 



